How to Set Up Hardware to Train Your Vines Like a Pro!

Would your new fence make you even happier if it was covered in vines? Or maybe one side of your garden has a bare wall that is not that aesthetically pleasing and would be less so if it were donned with a flowering trumpet vine? If this is something you’ve been considering in your outdoor area, here are some simple steps to get your green décor underway.

Measure, Install and Train!

• 1. First, measure the space that you plan to use to train you vine. The horizontal length will give you the measurement for how much wire you’ll need and the vertical measurement will give you the measurement for how many rows you’ll want to create. You’ll want to space the rows about 12 to 18 inches apart, horizontally.

• 2. You’ll need a roll or rolls of stainless steel aircraft wire (we like 1/8″) or your preference of wire, 2″ length eye hooks (2 per row – you can also use shorter or longer eye hooks, depending on your needs), wire cutters, cable clamps (2 per row) and 1 turnbuckle per row. If these are not available in your local hardware store, you can find them all on Amazon.

• 3. Your vine should be positioned in the center of your first set of rows. As the vine grows you can add more sections of wire and keep training it along your fence or wall.

• 4. To create a row, you’ll need an eye hook or hook screw at each end. Measure to make sure they are positioned level, horizontally.

turnbuckle and eye hook

• 5. Run the end of your wire through one of the eye hooks and fold it back on itself. Use a cable clamp to hold it in place. You’ll also need a small crescent wrench and screwdriver to tighten the bolts on the clamp.

• 6. Run the wire horizontally to reach the second hook screw, but this time, run the wire through a turnbuckle and use a clamp to secure. Hook your turnbuckle onto the screw and tighten till the wire is nice and taut. Repeat this for as many rows as you need.

• 7. Once you’ve completed all of your rows you’re ready to attach your vine to the wires.

Voila! Your newly greened fence or wall is now in the making. Don’t forget to tie and train in laterals.

Happy Gardening!
Judy

Note: It can difficult to find all the pieces you need to create the above mentioned vine support but the good news is you can purchase cable wire and related hardware by heading over to Amazon (we’re affiliates, so we do earn a tiny commission). As mentioned, we’ve put together a list of what we use:

Stainless Steel Hook & Eye Turnbuckle these are really nice stainless turnbuckles, 4 inches closed and 5 1/2 inches fully opened

Cable Clip Clamp Easy to attach, remove & reuse with hand tools; SAE-sized nuts for open-end wrench or sockets

Knipex 1/2″ Wire Rope CutterTwo crimping dies for end caps on Bowden cables and end ferrules for wire rope hoists

You’ll also need 2″ Eye Hooks (2 per row), a screwdriver and a small crescent wrench.

Read more about training vines in this post: easy ways to train your vines